CX Meal Times
 

Yesterday I got off CX139 HKG-SYD which is the only day time departure from HKG to SYD departing at 0840 and arriving same day at 20:50.

Meal services in menu stated: Breakfast and Dinner. I fully expected to receive breakfast after take-off followed by a dinner service about 2hrs before landing. Instead only 3hrs or so after the first meal service had been completed, at approximately 4h40 flight time (so half way during the flight) lights came on and full dinner service was offered at 4pm in the afternoon SYD time. I was kind of shocked as I wasn't yet hungry, and then got really hungry at the end of the flight. No other service was offered after the "mid flight dinner" nor were any snacks on offer.

Whilst I know that CX has some weird meal service times on select long haul day flights, I wasn't expecting this on such a short flight. Is this the norm for CX139?

Ugh the return of the "mid flight" meal timing.

MAD-HKG breakfast was served 5.5hrs before arrival (1815 MAD time or 0115 HKG time)

It just seems strange on such a short sector (8.5hrs) to do a mid flight meal. Is this ISM discretion or planned?

Just returned to HKG on CX100 (Departure 15:15, arrival 21:00) and thankfully meal was done after take off and then 2hrs before landing.

Long time ago (prior to covid), I had this experience on the day flight from ORD. I emailed CX and they said this decision was based on "customer comments and preferences."

Would be interesting if they said the same after covid.

Is the reason to avoid loading the on demand “snacks”? (Noodles, burgers etc)

It would be good if djsflynn could get some comment from CX why they use these disruptive meal timings. I still remember being woken for a meal in the middle of a JFK-HKG flight which has perfect timing for a full nights sleep.

I suspect that the meal was not served at the specified time - perhaps due to crew or galley problems OR just possibly because of a lazy ISM
It seems that the correct time IS 2 hours prior landing.

Previously the menu actually had the meal time in it. So it was a service decision.

Thanks for this. I will keep this in mind for my upcoming flight in J on CX253.... I hope they stick to second meal 2/2.5hrs before landing.

I have recently experienced this on CX139. The menu states “Dinner - served midway through your flight”.

I asked the ISM about this when she was taking my order at the beginning of the flight and she said that yes they will serve it around 2 hours after the first service. She said it’s because people start getting hungry at this stage. Also this sector doesn’t have any “snack meals”.

I mentioned it’s probably a bit early for me so she was happy to hold the meal and serve it to me later. But she was an excellent ISM. I’m not sure if others would be so accommodating.

Sorry No they will not... Just flew CX 239... the menu clearly stated the light dinner was to be served prior to arrival. Of course it was served mid-flight. However the portion was so small and this was my post-chubby state too.

The F/As ended up working the final three hours of the flights serving hamburgers to everyone, as everyone was hungry again a few hours after that so-called dinner service. They also should put out a basket of packaged snacks out.

Carfield

the first meal must be too small to sustain a few hours

It’s the usual long haul breakfast.

On a recent CX139 had exactly the same experience. Once breaky served, the staff pretty much vanished solely to re-appear 40 mins prior to landing when the seat belt sign was turned on for the rather early pre-landing drill. That is disappointing, as it seems there was a minimal/just necessary service provided during the flight, with this mid-flight meal and the early pre-landing preps on top made this impression clear.

If the issue is a light breaky that requires a mid-flight dinner than perhaps CX could beef it up yet does not seem to be the issue. Due to the 20h arrival at SYD it would have been perfect if served as dinner at circa 18h AEST. Find it bizzare at best, as it also curtails the mid-flight "cycle" (sleeping/watching a movie etc) a somewhat of an interruption to the enjoyment of the flight.